Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan ?

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then

be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bring ing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

Answer. The followers of Absalom are meant. The whole country was in great confusion. Absalom was dead, and David did not return to show himself to the people. It was not known who was ruler, and it was perhaps feared that Joab, whose warlike character was well known, might take upon himself the chief authority. Q-Why did David desire the priests to speak to the men of Judah, and especially to Amasa? A.-David looked upon the men of the tribe of Judah as nearer kindred to himself than the people of Israel, and Amasa was his sister's son. He seems to have wished to give him the chief command in the place of Joab, whose ambition and overbearing manner were displeasing. Q-Who is referred to in the words "He bowed the heart of all the men of Judah?"

A.-Amasa, who had great influence with the people, had joined Absalom in his rebellion against David, who, however, forgave him; partly, perhaps, because he was his nephew, and partly because he was anxious to have the support of the men of Judah. We shall see afterwards how Joab revenged himself on Amasa.. Q.-How did David act towards Shimei, and what was it that Shimei "did perversely" the day the king went out of Jerusalem ?

A. You will remember that when David quitted Jerusalem in trouble, because of the wicked conduct of Absalom, Shimei cursed him and threw stones and dust at him. Now that David returned in triumph, he generously forgave him and accepted his penitence.

2.-What excuse did Mephibosheth make to David for not coming to him?

A. He said that his servant deceived him. If we refer back, we shall see that Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, brought David two asses bearing bread, raisins, summer fruits, and wine, and told him that his master remained behind, in the expectation that the dispute between David and Absalom would have the effect of restoring him to the throne as the grandson of Saul. It seems probable that Ziba expected to gain favour with David by this story, and by his own apparently faithful conduct towards him, and he did so, for David gave him all that belonged to Mephibosheth. The lame young prince now assures the king that the servant had been false, that the asses were saddled for him and Ziba to rile on to go to the king, but that Ziba had taken them away, so that he, being lame, could not get to David. The king does not seem to have fully believed that Mephibosheth was quite free from blame, but he altered his former decision, and now ordered that the lands should be divided between them. Ziba had in time of need helped David, who was not willing that he should go without some reward.

Q.-Who was Barzillai ?

A.-A Gileadite, one of those who supplied David and his followers with food and necessary articles when he was in Mahanaim, after he had crossed Jordan, in his flight from Jerusalem. David remembered how kindly the good old man had acted, and wished him to be with him, but as he was too old he took Chimham, who is thought to have been the son of Barzillai. When the king was dying he especially recommended the son of Barzillai, the Gileadite, to the care of Solomon.

AND there happened to be there a

man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from jordan even to Jerusalem.

Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us. And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after

Sheba the son of Bichri.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and

Abishai his

brother pursued after

Sheba the son of Bichri. And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still. When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him. And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter. I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. The matter

is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

Then there was a famine in the days of David, three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.) Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel.

And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you. And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa: and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and